Thursday, July 28, 2016

Tima Maria Lacoba: Author Interview & Spotlight


Tima is a great friend and a fantastic writer. I am so happy to be able to feature her on Fantasy Fun Reads!



Bloodgifted
Book Description:

Being unable to age is just the beginning.

What if you had the power to lift an ancient curse but at a frightening price? Primary school teacher Laura Dantonville's ordinary life comes to an end when she learns her family's ancestral legacy, and a shocking secret that explains her strange inability to age.

Propelled into a violent underworld ruled by magic, murder and mystery, and stalked by vampire clans who covet the rare gift her blood bestows, Laura has to consent to the protection of a guardian – Alec Munro, powerful leader of the Dantonville clan. Despite a powerful attraction between the two, she discovers a far more intimate association between them is necessary if she is to end the curse that has plagued her family for centuries.
With time running out, Laura must decide to which world she belongs – human or vampire? Can she tread a delicate path between the two? Or will her fate – and that of her family – be decided by her police detective boyfriend Matt Sommers who is determined to destroy anyone who stands between him and Laura?

Excerpt:

I spun around to face him, but as I was still out of breath all I could do
was stand there, with my hands clenched by my side, and glare at him. He
moved away from the door and came slowly toward me. I took a step back.
‘It occurred to me I don’t like the idea of becoming a single mother,’ I
managed to say between breaths.
‘You should have thought of that sooner.’ He pulled his T-shirt over his
head and dropped it on the floor.
I stared open mouthed at his chiselled body, the rippling muscles of his
torso and the sword and serpent tattoo on his left breast. It was identical to
the image on the stained glass window. On impulse, I reached out and
touched it.
‘All the men have one. It marks us as belonging to Luc’s clan,’ he said.
‘Does he have one too?’
‘Yes.’ The look in his eyes intensified. ‘Keep touching me, Laura.’
My hands traced the hard planes of his chest, stomach and the
delectable trail of dark hair that disappeared below the tops of his jeans.
‘You told me never to touch you again. You still feel that way?’
‘If I did, I wouldn’t be agreeing to this. It’s only sex, nothing more. A
means to an end.’
‘Did I promise anything more?’
No, he didn’t. This was, as he so succinctly put it, a business
arrangement.

Buy Links:
Check out the reviews on Amazon (US)! 95 reviews and a 4.6 average...

Amazon (US) - http://bit.ly/BloodGifted
Amazon (UK) - http://amzn.to/1T5bahL
Amazon (CA) - http://amzn.to/1SB7XU6
Amazon (AU) - http://bit.ly/1Mv4eLJ

 

Author Bio:

A former ancient historian and archaeologist, Tima Maria accidently smashed a 3,000 Egyptian vase while on her first dig! Her supervisor made her glue it back together again. It took a week. From there she went on to specialise in late Roman-British archaeology, and the military forts along Hadrian’s Wall, because buildings don’t smash as easily. Now she’s combined my love of history with another passion – story-telling – to create a dark tale of Roman soldiers who’ve waited nearly two thousand years to be released from an ancient curse.

Tima has always been a storyteller, but it wasn't until five years ago that she seriously ventured into writing. The result was Bloodgifted. In 2011 it was shortlisted in the Atlas Award and eventually came fourth place. In 2012 it was listed among the top ten in the Choclit Search for an Aussie Star Competition. In 2013, she was offered a publishing contract but declined in favour of going indie, preferring the idea of being in charge of her own creation.

Bloodgifted, Bloodpledge and BloodVault and the first three books in The Dantonville Legacy series. She also intends to satisfy her fans requests by writing individual books on the other characters in the series. So Terens, Cal Jake and Sam will each have their own story.

Tima currently lives on the Central Coast, an hour's drive north of Sydney in Australia. Her little house is surrounded by bushland, possums and seed-dropping Rosellas on one side, and waterways on the other.
Between bouts of writing, she can be found in the kitchen baking yet another chocolate recipe. This activity is responsible for forming more gothic, urban fantasy stories in her mind for future books.


Interview:

1. I get the impression that the Australian author community is different than the American one, perhaps more close-knit than ours. I also see you attending many events down under. Tell us about being an Australian author.

It’s a much smaller community, but daily growing. Oddly enough, I have more American writer friends than Australian, and I think that is primarily because of social media – more Americans are active online than Aussies. I could be wrong, but that’s what I seem to be seeing.
Either way, the world is a small place now and I enjoy interacting with everyone.

2. Urban fantasy & Gothic Romance are two genres that seem to be confusing to some. What is your view of these genres?

These genres are so interchangeable that sometimes it’s hard to separate the two.
Classically, urban fantasy may have romantic elements but the story does not revolve around it. It’s the quest, the journey that maintains the plot, and the scenes normally take place in an urban setting – a city – hence the term Urban Fantasy. HEA (happily ever after) is not guaranteed.
In a romance, be it gothic or paranormal, the story pivots around the romantic couples and their growing relationship. Traditionally, it’s meant to lead to a HEA.
I love both genres, so much so, my series is a combination of both.

3. What are you currently working on? Is there an end in sight for your current series?

Right now, I’m working on Book 4 in my Dantonville Legacy Series – BloodWish. It will be the last in this particular series that revolves around the two MCs (Laura and Alec) as it brings their story to a satisfying conclusion.
But, saying that, the series will continue under the title, the Dantonville Chronicles and will concentrate on the other characters readers have come to know – Alec’s friends. So Terens, Jake, Cal and Sam will each have their own books.


4. Tell us about your publishing experience. Did you try to find an agent or publisher first or did you always want to self-publish?

Almost from the day I started writing, I’d decided to become an indie author. Not that I have anything against traditional publishing, (some of my best friends are traditionally published) but I couldn’t be bothered waiting months, even years, to hear back from publishers after submitting my manuscript. Mind you, I did submit to a few publishers just to see the response. After my fifth submission I was offered a publishing contract. I was shocked! Unfortunately the contract did not suit me so I politely declined.
I have not regretted the decision.
It’s a lot of work being an indie author as all the work rests on your shoulders, but it’s rewarding knowing you’re in charge of your creation and only you know what’s best for it.

5. What have you learned as an author since you published your first book that you wish you knew just starting out?

Where do I begin?
One of the most important lessons I learnt is to have a good marketing plan. You can have the best book in the world but if it’s not visible, it won’t sell. Create a marketing plan to suit your budget. Check with other authors to know which book promo sites are the best, and advertise with them. Stay within your means. There are a lot of great book blogging sites with a massive list of subscribers out there, which don’t cost the earth.
And don’t give up. Keep writing.

Follow Tima at these places....

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